Written on December 7th, 2008 at 12:12 am by Darren Rowse
5 Valuable Lessons You Can Learn From Blogging
This is a guest post by full-time blogger and internet marketer, Justin Wright.
In my quest to become a full-time blogger, I have had many ups and downs along the way. I have tried things that worked and things that have failed miserably. Along the way, I have learned some valuable lessons.
Here are the 5 most valuable lessons I have learned from blogging:
1. The Journey Is Everything
Having a successful blog is something I always wanted to have, but early on I lacked the patience to wait around for it to happen. I had the common mindset of wanting it all now. I wanted to go to sleep one night and wake up with a popular blog the next morning. I wanted money to be rolling in while I slept. I wanted to have a following of a few thousand people and traffic stats beyond my wildest dreams.
Of course that would have been great, but what I did not realize at that time was that I would miss the most important part of all, the journey itself. Just like in life, the beginning and end are nowhere near as important as what we experience and accomplish in between.
The experience of starting a blog and watching yourself progress is something money cannot buy. It is amazing to see yourself become more knowledgeable and proficient as time moves on. You start to learn more and more and progress as a both a writer and a marketer. Just looking back at what my blog looked like 10 months ago compared to now gives me a great sense of accomplishment. My posts have been taken to a whole new level. They are longer, formatted better, and best of all, more useful and entertaining.
So never forget, that the journey of becoming a blogger is more important than the end product.
2. Hard Work Does Pay Off
When it comes to blogging, time is something you need a lot of. Starting a new blog takes a lot of time, commitment, and persistence. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that you are spending all your time and effort working on something that might not take off for 6 months to a year down the road.
Before starting my current blog, I had previously started more than 10 different blogs that never took off. Why? Because I abandoned them way before they ever made any progress. However, now that I have committed myself to a blog and worked hard on a day to day basis, I have seen some great results.
These results have reassured me that that hard work really does pay off, you just have to stick with it long enough to see results.
3. Relationships Are Everything
When I started on my blogging journey, the last thing on my mind was making friends and creating relationships with other bloggers. It’s not that I didn’t want to make friends, it just wasn’t something I had thought of when starting out. I failed to realize early on that besides making money and sharing your voice through blogging, you can also network with people from around the world.
Almost a year later, my mindset has shifted to the point where making friends and networking is one of the most important aspects of my blog. Instead of spending every second working on my own blog, I make sure to go out and leave feedback on other blogs. Not only does it help fellow bloggers out by increasing their comments, it keeps them motivated to keep writing. It helps you meet new people and create a network of friends that all share a similar hobby.
These friends and contacts can help you when you need blog advice, marketing, or a place to stay while traveling (it’s been done).
4. Doing What You Love Isn’t Work
Over the last 10 months, I have spent way more time on my blog than I would have expected. It has basically become a full-time job since I spend my time working on the design, writing content, and promoting it. However, this type of work feels different to me than any past job I have ever had. Why? Because doing what you love isn’t work. It’s a passion. It’s a hobby you enjoy doing regardless of the time or effort it takes. No wonder so many people tell you to do something you love growing up. The reason so many people are disappointed with their jobs is because it isn’t their ideal career.
This important lesson has taught me that regardless of how much money I can make blogging, it is what I am passionate about and enjoy doing. As long as I can make the bare minimum to survive, I will be happy with this choice.
5. Provide First, Reap The Rewards Later
I’ll admit that when I first started blogging two years ago, my main focus was making money as fast as possible. That’s it. I was looking for a easy formula to make money without having a job. The problem with that logic was the fact that I was trying to reap the rewards before providing a service. The lesson I learned from that mistake is that blogging is like any other business. You need to provide value before you can expect to make any money.
When it comes to adding value to your blog, providing valuable content to your readers on a consistent basis is key. Provide useful information that will make them want to come back time and time again. Offer free advice and reports instead of trying to sell them things early on. Create a relationship with your readers and respond to them when they send you emails or leave comments.
By focusing on providing value first, you will no doubt be rewarded for your time and efforts. It takes time, but pays off in the end.
Have you learned any valuable lessons from blogging? What are they?
Justin Wright is a full-time blogger and internet marketer that has a blog about life, travel, and blogging. He also enjoys photography and runs a photoblog.
76 Responses to “5 Valuable Lessons You Can Learn From Blogging” - Add Yours
Matthew Pearson
December 7th, 2008 1:02 am
Thanks Justin for this – I think most of us have been there and it really is great to talk about our expectations before, during and after.
Lending this kind of perspective to new bloggers is important, as with the right expectations of results (and work) I think we’ll have a bigger, better writing community. A community not so savagely profit-hunting, but fun-focussed and talking properly.
So thanks again and in the spirit of community – I’m following your tweets!
LisaNewton
December 7th, 2008 1:02 am
Thank you for the great advice. I couldn’t agree more about blogging being a passion, not work.
I sometimes spend hours researching, writing, editing, and all the while, I love it. A friend of mine, who doesn’t really understand, keeps telling me to relax, but what I keep trying to tell her is that I am relaxed………………….:)
DonBlogger
December 7th, 2008 1:12 am
I can confirm that hard work pays off! A blog post I write in 10 minutes never reaches the hits an entry that takes me a couple of hours to write receives.
If I didn’t enjoy and love blogging, I think there’s no way to really have success and get positive feedback from readers.
Yogesh Sarkar
December 7th, 2008 1:14 am
Good points there, I completely agree with journey is everything part. Also at the end of the day, there is no such thing as “destination” in blogging as you have to keep working harder and harder to become even more successful.
Farrhad
December 7th, 2008 1:18 am
Thanks a lot for the advice
Lovely post :)
Hard work is essential and distractions must not interfere.
Guillaume Foutry
December 7th, 2008 1:25 am
I totally agreed on all the points. The more I blog, the more I become aware I know nothing and I have to work harder. But this is not work and it is enjoyable!
arshad
December 7th, 2008 1:32 am
awesome post justin.i especially liked this thing :” Doing What You Love Isn’t Work ” .
one more thing you could have included is this :
” patience is everything in blogging ” .I could see that you had stressed on that point in some lines of your posts but would have been great if you had it as one of the main titles .thanks justin :)
Jim Legington
December 7th, 2008 1:52 am
What You become in the journey- Sharing Your Passion on
a Blog is very necessary for one to be successful and doing
what one loves, is like what Justin is saying in this Post and Crucial Understanding You’ve shared there.
Giving value First is the greatest lesson anyone can learn about Building Better Relationships Online. That’s Been our giving attitude even since of First Domain in December 2001. Experience is worth much, Again it’s
about what You become in the journey.
Thanks Darren, for sharing Justin with us. God Bless!
Unique Blogger
December 7th, 2008 1:57 am
Great post Justin. I agree with arshad “patience is everything in blogging” and hard work.
Dabbygag
December 7th, 2008 2:05 am
Couldn’t agree more!!!! Especially, doing what you love isn’t work.
I am now starting to put ads on my website. It really took an effort to start because I was having so much fun posting content.
ashok
December 7th, 2008 2:05 am
I think this is an awesome post, but I wish you had discussed what your mentality towards the more technical aspects of blogging was and how it changed, esp. regarding SEO.
Paul Anater
December 7th, 2008 2:06 am
Amen! I started my blog nearly a year ago and the transformation in my blogging (and in me personally) has been staggering and really cool.
Jeff@MySuperChargedLife
December 7th, 2008 2:08 am
Blogging definitely takes time in two ways. It takes time on a daily basis to write, market, and maintain a blog. In addition, it takes time for a blog to gain popularity. Those that enter blogging to make a quick buck are usually disappointed. There is money to be made, but it takes a lot of time and patience.
15 Minutes to Riches!
December 7th, 2008 2:22 am
As a new blogger, I can agree with all of these. The journey is a large part of starting a blog. It opens up opportunities that I had never even thought of. Thanks for these thoughts!
CleanseBody
December 7th, 2008 2:30 am
I think selecting the right portal application is a big part of success. I have four sites built with DotNetNuke and they don’t get a whole lot of traffic. While wordpress blogs with similar or less content get a lot more traffic.
Puspanjali
December 7th, 2008 2:43 am
Hey Justin,wonderful post.I am a beginner and often feel
impatient at the long journey of blogging.Yes the first year is not only very crucial ,its very frustrating too.And this is the period when tenacity and perseverance pays off.Your post has given me the much needed encouragement to carry on blogging.Thanks for a beautiful post.
Culinary Cory
December 7th, 2008 2:44 am
I write a food blog and people started telling me they were actually making my recipes. I know it sounds weird, but I wasn’t expecting people to really interact with my blog in that way. I learned it’s important to be consistant with my posts and make sure each recipe is something I can be proud to have others make.
Satish Suggala
December 7th, 2008 2:55 am
I have learnt a fair bit about branding and marketing as a student. Heck, my blog got me a summer job at India’s largest youth magazine.
I also find that I am so much in a better position to offering advice to newbie bloggers and website owners alike.
Tracy
December 7th, 2008 3:00 am
I so agree with number 4 “Doing what you love isn’t work”. I admit, it makes me a little crazy when people tell me to put off the blogging, so as to ease my stress, not understanding that being able to do something I truly enjoy is what keeps me going!
Ben
December 7th, 2008 3:04 am
You’ve struck so many chords here, can’t agree with so many of the pointers, eg. wanting to make money as soon as possible and not interacting with other bloggers etc. Great article!
phy
December 7th, 2008 3:20 am
thanks for the very basic pieces of advice. hope to see the how-tos. how to build relationships with people in your niche and how to monetize your blog.
Devon Martlew
December 7th, 2008 4:51 am
I really liked this article. My blog is only a couple of weeks old and every now and then I ask myself “is it worth it? Am I going to spend the next 6-12 months working on this blog and not see it go anywhere?” Reading this article is good encouragement.
Thanks!
Blog Expert
December 7th, 2008 5:19 am
I have to agree. All five are very good lessons you can learn from blogging.
Justin Wright
December 7th, 2008 6:05 am
Thanks to everyone for the feedback! I am glad everyone agrees that these are some important lessons you can learn from blogging.
Bryan
December 7th, 2008 6:07 am
I think this is a great article – I agree with all 5 points. I especially like #4 “Doing what you love isn’t work” because it is so true. To be honest, I just started my blog and it’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and now that I have done it, I find myself spending a lot of time on it. It doesn’t feel like a chore at all, it’s fun.
Caleb
December 7th, 2008 6:25 am
“The journey is everything!” … if you could have everything you wanted at the snap of a finger, you’d get bored pretty fast and wouldn’t actually learn anything ;)
Nice post…I might have to riff this one.
Disc Jockey
December 7th, 2008 6:30 am
That was a post I can fully agree with.
Good points, Justin!
Corey Freeman
December 7th, 2008 6:34 am
#5 is definitely my favorite. A lot of new bloggers sit down and decide that it’s all about the cash, but it’s really about the fun of creating great content and interacting with your readers. The cash flow will take care of itself if you play your cards right.
Terry Krysak
December 7th, 2008 7:22 am
This is a great post and very timely for me as I just started blogging last week.
I love the challenge of the intense learning required to get things up and running.
Thanks for your thoughts!!!
Carla
December 7th, 2008 7:43 am
I have been following you for a couple of months not (sometimes quietly) and I really admire all that you have done.
“3. Relationships Are Everything”
That is a great lesson I learned when I first started blogging. Relationship are defiantly everything.
This Virtual World
December 7th, 2008 7:50 am
Great post Justin! I always tell people it is the journey, so make the best of it. This is why you caught my attention right from the start. I am happy to see my own thougts reciprocated here in your well written post. It is so important to remember to help others first, and the rest will naturally follow. Having the confidence to share a part of ourselves is a gift.
Enjoy! ;o)
Teri
~
Web Promotion Tips
December 7th, 2008 7:51 am
To add on point number 5 and Corey Freeman’s comment. I listened to a great audio program by Earl Nightingale called “Lead the Field”, one of the early personal development programmes. One of his examples included: “People expect heat from the fire, without putting any fuel on the fire”.
We need to develop good solid information on our blogs, in order to feed the needs of our audience.
The journey is indeed everything, the journey of a 1000 miles starts with the very first step. If we didnt have the journey we wouldn’t grow and learn.
Building relationships through blogging is a great concept I’ve started developing my own blog and I enjoy to read others comments, and look at their blogs plus see how I can contribute to their blog. They’ve spent the time to look at my blog, it is a good thing to build relationships with like minded people. It is about building a reputuation and caring about your audience. Plus listening to them. One of the most important aspects of communication is listening.
Give the target audience what they need and want. Sooner or later, the rewards will return to you.
Susie Mac
December 7th, 2008 8:09 am
Your article came at the write time for me. I’m in the experimental stage with blogging, so still sorting things out in terms of finding voice, figuring how I could make money with my little niches of words, making time to do quality pieces, and so forth and so on. Thank you very much. :-)
Susie Mac
December 7th, 2008 8:11 am
Hmmm, I said “write time.” Maybe, I did mean that. LOL!
Jim Gaudet
December 7th, 2008 8:45 am
Number 3 I think it the best. I never thought that I would meet so many interesting people, and the knowledge I have learned this way is irreplaceable.
Mary
December 7th, 2008 9:27 am
#5 is so true. It’s easy to spot those blogs and I just leave shaking my head in disgust! Also some blogs provide useful content but the constant pimping is so annoying. For me, if there is great content I can use (or a great read that is entertaining and/or enjoyable) I’ll find the RSS feed or bookmark the site! You don’t have to annoy me with the hard sell!
Adrianos Facchetti
December 7th, 2008 10:00 am
It is so difficult to remain patient and observe the journey instead of the destination. This post is a good reminder that anything worth doing takes time, dedication, and persistence.
Jeff Hardy
December 7th, 2008 10:06 am
Blogging is a really easy thing to start but very, very difficult thing to sustain. It’s very discouraging to post, post, and post and see so little traffic. As this article states, you won’t see much traffic for at least six months, and wow, that’s tough.
Most people quit well before then.
Anjay
December 7th, 2008 10:17 am
Its difficult to keep up the momentum of a blog when you don’t see instant results. Our recipe blog has been up for about a month now, but now that we’ve building the relationships up and getting search engine traffic we can slowly see the traffic increase.
Point 4 is especially relevant for me because when initially setting up the blog I’d stay up till the early hours of the morning with very little sleep. Then I thought about it, and realised that in a job I’d never do that. The time just went by without realising what the time was on the clock. You know how you would clock watch waiting for home time. Surely it must be a good thing to want to log-on when you get up in the mornings and “work” on it at the weekends. When its your ‘baby’, you are also more compelled to do a proper job and not cut corners.
Anyway try a Thai gold bag here:-
http://radiancerecipes.com
Forex Online Trading Systems Review
December 7th, 2008 12:02 pm
This is a great post Justin. Keep up the good work
Paul
Denise
December 7th, 2008 12:43 pm
Ah…the Journey; you remind me. I am fairly new to blogging and I must say I appreciate your well written and encouraging post Justin. Also, Thanks for sharing Darren.
mike
December 7th, 2008 1:17 pm
I agree with all of those. Never quit!
Robby G
December 7th, 2008 2:22 pm
I’ve been told by some that the idea for my blog is good and it’ll work, but i’ve been told by much MORE people that it’s stupid and will never work. Honestly, I think it all depends on how hard I work on it and how hard I market it. I’m sure there are more than enough people interested in what I’m writing just because it interests me as well. Great post and I think all of those points are really important. Best to realize stuff you’ve outlined early in the game.
Tcm007
December 7th, 2008 2:42 pm
Thank you for the good information and the positive atitude.
Eric
December 7th, 2008 5:26 pm
I agree, its definitely not work to blog :) I spend so much time designing my blog. It was more addicting than anything. This is one area of life where I am definitely enjoying the journey!
Website Builder
December 7th, 2008 6:59 pm
Fast money by blogging does not exist.
Robby, many people will always criticize your work, your blog and even your website, human nature.
My advice, think hard on your blog topic,
give it a day or two to sink in. (Personally a week is better)
Map out your plan
Start writing an outline for your content
If after some time you are still excited, go for it
But you need to commit to investing time in to your project.
To your success!
Indie Fan
December 7th, 2008 10:43 pm
Great post. Over time, I’ve come to realize that the interaction and community equity I’ve developed far outweigh any short-term monetary gains.
Virtual Web Symphony
December 7th, 2008 11:29 pm
I am in total agreement with what you mentioned above. Its been only 3 months that I have started my blog. And I am not even getting traffic to count on. I am gaining maturity with time. But I know I have miles to go before I sleep. I would love to have guidance from the blogging community about my topics and the content or for that matter anything. Just have a look and guide me. I am learning to have patience now.
Helmi Asyraf
December 8th, 2008 12:29 am
Sometimes newbies are too obsessed with what they observe and find from their surrounding.
We always find about successful bloggers but not about bloggers that have to go through a really hard life and joourney to post a new articles in his blog.
That;s the reason why as mentioned in the beginning we always want what successful person get without thinking how do they get n reach there + how many other bloggers that have sacrificed their life for the sake of blogging n helphis reader.
p/s: In my country, there is one motivational blogger that cycles 20 kilometre (around 12 miles) all the way from his village to the internet cafe in nearby city. It is because he does not ev enough money to have own computer + internet connections.
With his sweating body, he has to post as fast as possible coz he doesn’t ev enough money.
The only source of income for him is only through advert which he get only enough to cover the internet cafe;s expenses n buy some books.
There was one time that he wanted to stop blogging coz he did not enough money to even go to the internet cafe. Fortunately, someone has start campaign for him in one of the forums to help him to continue blogging.
That’s the true situation. Unfortunately, we always forget about it. We keep impatiently want to be successful in a split second.
That’s all for my lengthy story….heheheh (n_n)
Shafar
December 8th, 2008 12:31 am
Great points! I liked the last point. I remember one proverb – AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP..!!
http://www.tipsblogger.com/2008/10/as-you-sow-so-shall-you-reap.html
shea
December 8th, 2008 12:37 am
I have to disagree with one of your affirmations. Hard work pays off, In my life I have found that it does not. You work hard and you are not rewarded for that. Time and time again, this has now been hammered into my brain. Is it right or fair? I say no, but this is the lie I was led to believe, if you work hard, then you’ll be successful, be able to work your way up. This just is not true, so please quit spreading the propoganda of it.
What does matter is WHO you know, or CONNECTIONS, etc. That is what matters to be successful.
and I’d like to add that this being Darren’s blog, (whom I kind of admire) that I think he would agree that it’s not just in this crappy life we lead on earth that this is true in, but also in the afterlife, You can’t work your way into heaven, but if you know JESUS, he can get you in.
I appologize if I sound bad,or whatever, but was reading your article in my pro blogger subscription, and it just hit a bad nerve with me, I can’t tell you the amount of times that hard work on my part was not rewarded, It’s all about Who you know.
Millard
December 8th, 2008 12:38 am
Although I haven’t been blogging that long, I have had web sites for over 10 years, and each time I give up too early. Blogging is much more satisfying to me, and offers me the ability to study and learn my chosen niche which is learning and discussing digital photography. I have no lack of fresh content which is what I always lacked when doing website.
Ganesh - Online Bull
December 8th, 2008 1:12 am
I cannot agree more with what you said.
Your last point couldn’t have been better. In blogging, you won’t make money right away. You have to put in the time, hard work and persistence and finally you will receive your reward.
Very nice post. :-)
العاب
December 8th, 2008 1:13 am
This is an excellent post, thanks a lot , I’m grateful to you.
Carlos Hernandez
December 8th, 2008 1:46 am
BlogWorld ‘07 introduced me to the generous world of bloggers. I encountered generousity beyond the blog post itself!
I share myself in that manner with Baby Boomers who are striving to be tech savvy.
Rasmus
December 8th, 2008 1:54 am
That was just what I needed to read. Lately I’ve lost my momentum a bit, but this post really made me think about my long term plans for my blog. I know traffic doesn’t come easily and that persistence is everything, but I find it hard to keep up the posting when I’m not seeing any real results. I guess I’ll keep up posting, after all this is what I love to do and I’m pretty confident that it will ultimately lead to at least some kind of success. At least on a personal level.
Adele - Yoga Babe Cafe
December 8th, 2008 2:14 am
Your post brings to mind Marshall McLuhan’s famous quote, “The medium is the message.” I find blogging a fantastic medium that allows for otherwise impossible connections with people of like mind and interest. As an artist who enjoys the process of creating in what ever medium of the moment, Blogging is yet another on-going process that keeps on expanding my enjoyment of that process.
Teddy Towncrier
December 8th, 2008 3:11 am
And silently building a saleable as we go along is a nice added bonus.
Best for continued success.
michaelkpoh
December 8th, 2008 4:35 am
Justin, great post.
I started my first & only blog in October and like you initially dreamt about all the money I could make.
However I knew it was going to be hard & would involve hard work & committment. That is the way life is; you must show committment and dedication to life before she bestows her lavish rewards on you.
If you are meagre in your efforts; life will be meagre in results.
My challenge is the fact that I am not too savvy technically & so I focus more on content than tweaking thing s around such as design and SEO etc which will make my blog more searchable and easily noticed.
However I know the great mantra of blogging is ‘Great Content.’ If one has great content, in time all else will follow.
How do we get to the stage of great content; patience & dedication!
Great post.
Pushhyarag
December 8th, 2008 5:23 am
Hi Justin,
I had a bit of a lengthy feedback, so I made post on my blog with a link to this. Hope that’s OK.
But thanks a ton first.
joni wilson
December 8th, 2008 6:45 am
Thanks Justin for the wise words. I’m a blogging “newbe” with patients, but little time in my busy world. To be reminded that a successful blog is like a full time job is a good indicator that I need to schedule time each day to my blog, not wait until the “time is right.” As we busy folk know, it will never be right unless we make it right.
My passion is helping people find their voice and to share my work is the joy of my life. I too am not a “tekie” so your info was warmly appreciated and accepted!!!
Discount Digital Camcorders
December 8th, 2008 8:51 am
Excellent post, I think for me the “doing what you love is not hard work” lesson applies the most, sometimes when I am working on my blogs or websites I spend more than 13 hours working before I realize how much time has passed, sleep is no longer something I look forward to.
krissy knox
December 8th, 2008 10:21 am
1. Help other bloggers always.
2. Find a niche.
3. Stay positive and upbeat at all times if possible.
4. Play sometimes and take breaks regularly.
5. Play hard but work hard.
6. Perhaps have a blogging buddy, or at least somebody you inspire and they inspire you — somebody who you both bounce ideas off of.
7. Network.
8. Find an angle — for instance, don’t just copy other bloggers, perhaps come up with an idea of your own.
9. Never give up. Switch ideas if warranted — be flexible and change when necessary, but don’t quit — be persistent.
10. Be open to new ideas — create new ideas.
11. Be a leader in your field — have self confidence — act like you are somebody and have something to offer!
12. Read the top blogs in your field.
13. Read ProBlogger :)
14. Be involved in Social Media :)
15. Design your blog carefully. Decide what you REALLY want to have in it.
16. Thing before you post.
17. Have a schedule — a book — where you write down when you are going to post which post.
18. Consider “batching” — for example — writing posts on Monday (3 or 4), doing graphics on Tuesday, social media on Weds, etc…
19. Believe in yourself. When you are ready to go full time at blogging — do so. And do it RIGHT. If you believe you should use wordpress, use wordpress. Dive into the pool head first! Just try. You will never know if you can, until you try!
20. Spend time with your family and friends. Isn’t this why you are doing this to a certain extent, to have more time with them?
21. The journey is Everything!
22. Growing as a person is so important.
23. Take along as many people as you can with you! Fellow bloggers, readers, etc.
24. Help causes whenever you can, you will be happy that you can help others with the money you made, and that you can give back.
25. You will not be satisfied with your blogging career unless you really define what you want out of it — it will become drudgery to you if you can’t define why it is important to you. Take an hour right now and decide why it is important to you! Now post that on the wall next to your computer and read it every morning. Money is often NOT the most important thing.
26. Remember, when writing posts, breviaty is often the most important thing!
27. You can write list posts, right Darren, LOL, wherever you are! ;)
Krissy :)
http://sometimesithink-krissy.blogspot.com
Ben Moreno
December 8th, 2008 10:44 am
All of these are of course true tips from a pro but I think #5 should be #1. From personal experience I think that you should create quality information that really helps people.
It is easy to get swept up in the money aspect of blogging with dollar signs in your eyes. I did the same think when I first started blogging. Now I gave up on that part for now and I am all about creating content and finding those who need help and try my best to answer their questions.
Globetrotting Bride
December 8th, 2008 10:58 am
Like everyone has said, this was a really great post. It’s so easy to get discouraged and I would not still be blogging without my blog buddies cheering me on!
frugalgrad.com
December 8th, 2008 1:33 pm
The advise is a bit repetitive but nevertheless they are great reminders for all blogger. I am wondering if blogging will ever be saturated if there are so many blogs out there now. But then, the great ones will always stand out from the crowd right? ( I just wish Adsense would stop showing get-rich-instant schemes, try to ignore them, but honestly sometimes they just make me really impatient and off track. Hey, may be if I spend enough time blogging, I will be immunized from them…hopefully…!)
Kevin Kelly
December 8th, 2008 7:44 pm
Nice post – Confucius says “choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.” I concur.
Another important aspect of blogging to me is Giving – my own research has shown when you give out you get back.
And finally of course pain/perspiration/determination are all part of the process – maybe just maybe Einstein was right work is 1% inspiration 99% perspiration
Takumi86
December 9th, 2008 12:16 am
Hard work really does pay off i have been trying to blogging since 2006 but never been so serious like this, not before i found your site and read your post
Jeff Fine&Frugal
December 9th, 2008 12:33 am
I couldn’t agree more with doing this because you love it. Going for the money is tempting. Doing it because you love it is much more satisfying!
Erik Przekop
December 9th, 2008 3:40 am
Another great post. I’m looking to build a blog as an adjunct (and to help bring traffic to) a new business. You’ve given me some food for thought…
D'Arcy Gregoire
December 9th, 2008 9:01 am
Great article.
I’m just starting out and, while a lot of what you’ve said is common sense, it really does helps to see it laid out this way.
Douglas Dolan
December 9th, 2008 2:41 pm
Justin:
Solid article. With so many new bloggers every day, here is a great article to set things in perspective.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Internet cluttered up with dying or dead blogs from people that hoped they were going to get rich quickly without putting in much of an effort.
Being passionate about what you are blogging about makes a world of difference.
German Romance
December 9th, 2008 7:31 pm
Blogging about something you like and have passion about makes the writing much easier, than just trying to come up with some good ideas to write about.
Vincent
December 9th, 2008 7:58 pm
Hey Justin,
I’m a new blogger and you had written what I have been going through. I believe we just need to work hard and wait patiently for the rewards to come in. Thanks for the article.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Rose Cemanes
December 9th, 2008 9:28 pm
Thanks for the tips, Justin. It really inspire me more to write and blog. Keep up the good works!
Best regards
Rose Cemanes
Kwai Chi
December 11th, 2008 12:24 am
I have just taken up blogging full time and rewards are slow going. Luckily I am a youtube partner and I can receive funds through that route for now. I do believe that I will reap the rewards further down the line as i have seen developing my youtube audience over the last 2 years.
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